Detestable move to handover Ashoka Hotel to Ambani: Who can stop?

Ashok Hotel, one of Delhi's landmarks, very close to the Prime Minister's residence, is up for sale. The sale price of this premium 5-star hotel, which is the largest owned by the Tourism Department of the Government of India, has been fixed at Rs 7,409 crore. It is said that Ashok Hotel will be bought by MukeshAmbani and the work on the sale and transfer is in progress.Apart from this hotel, 7 more hotels owned by Indian Tourism Department will be sold. Also on cards is a plan to raise funds by leasing out hotels, apartments and shopping malls in a centrally located 25-acre area in Delhi.

In Prime Minister Modi's regime, Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman has been keen in selling public sector companies and cash them out on 99-year leases. Whether the PSU is profitable or not, if the decision is made to sell, there is no room for backtracking. Several PSUs, including Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Shipping Corporation of India, Bharat Earth Movers Limited, were sold to private individuals even when they were operating profitably.

In the National Monetization Process meeting held in August 2021, it was decided to raise Rs. 6 lakh crore rupees over the next four years through long-term leasing and sale of public sector assets owned by the Government of India such as airports, railway stations, roads and ports to private individuals.

Accordingly, long-term leasing of many airports which are public sector assets to the Adani Group has been accelerated. The ports were also leased by the Adani Group. Long-term leasing can be equated to selling.
Air India was sold to Tata for Rs 18,000 crore last year. In the current year 2022-&23, it has so far encashed public sector assets worth Rs 33,422 crore. Of this, Rs 17,000 crore was raised only through the sale of mines by the Ministry of Coal.

Opposition parties are raising the banner of revolt and questioned, “ if all the public sector companies are being sold to Ambani and Adhani, then what is the use of having a Parliament”.However, the sale of public sector companies continues unhindered.The people of the country expect that the Union Government should retain at least the profitable public sectors. Who will stop the action of the Union Government to destroy public trust in Public Sector Undertakings?